Suspended Kent councillor Ricky Jones spoke at a protest in Walthamstow last August. (Image: Dartford Labour)
Furious MPs have accused Britain’s “two tier justice” of being “out of control” after a jury cleared a Labour councillor of encouraging violent disorder. Ricky Jones, 58, who called for far-right activists’ throats to be cut at an anti-racism rally in the wake of the Southport murders, has been found not guilty of the offence.
He faced trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court after he described demonstrators as “disgusting Nazi fascists”. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Reform leader Nigel Farage said: "This is another outrageous example of two-tier justice."
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Former Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf also said that “two tier justice in this country is out of control”.
Mr Yusuf said: “The Labour councillor literally caught on video calling for people to slit the throats of his political opponents has been found not guilty. “Meanwhile Lucy Connolly gets 31 months in jail? Two tier justice in this country is out of control.”
Read more: Labour councillor who called for protesters to have throats cut found not guilty
The jurors deliberated for just over half an hour and found Jones not guilty on Friday.
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Connolly pleaded guilty last year to a charge of inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing “threatening or abusive” written material on X which meant she did not face a trial.
A video showing Jones addressing crowds on Hoe Street in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 last year went viral on social media after the protest, which had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau.
The now-suspended councillor, wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, said: “They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.”
He also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the crowd.
Former Home Secretary James Cleverly said the jury’s decision was “perverse”.
He wrote on X: “This unacceptable. Perverse decisions like this are adding to the anger that people feel and amplifying the belief that there isn’t a dispassionate criminal justice system.”
Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said: “It is astonishing that this Labour councillor who was caught on video calling for throats to be slit is let off scot-free, whereas Lucy Connolly got 31 months prison for posting something no worse. The development of two-tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming. It cannot have been a question of uncertain evidence as the man was on video clearly calling for violence.
“The government must come forward with plans to ensure justice is handed out equally, regardless of the background or views of the perpetrator - but as far as I can see this Labour government seems to be quite happy with two-tier justice.”
Jones was seen mouthing “thank you” at the jurors.
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Family and supporters hugged each other before Jones, who declined to comment on the verdict, was driven out of the court grounds in a car.
Jones, who at the time was also employed as a full-time official for the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union, was arrested on August 8 last year and interviewed at Brixton police station that night.
He has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019 and was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the incident.
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